Encounters of a Loving Kind
by firefly.mystical.dreamer
Summary: Disclaimer - I don't own Happy Potter. This is my attempt of imagining what was going on from Hermione's point of view from first falling in love with Ron Weasley to beyond. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have writing it.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I don't own Happy Potter. This is my attempt of imagining what was going on from Hermione's point of view from first falling in love with Ron Weasley to beyond.**

Chapter 1

When I woke up on that morning of September 1st 1991 I didn't expect to run into the person that I was to fall in love with, well no one knows do they? At the time of first meeting him I thought he was just some red-haired boy sat with Harry Potter in a train compartment on the Hogwarts express. How was I to know that through all the arguments we were to have and all the next coming years of friendship was going to blossom into something more.

My mother and father were as confused as I was when we received the letter for me to attend Hogwarts, we all got a shock when this tall woman with glasses in a long robe knocked on our door the day after I finished school for the summer.

"I know this can come as a bit of a shock "she said in a high voice, "but your daughter is a witch" she continued.

"Excuse me?" my parents said in unison, they looked at me and I shrugged. I didn't have a clue what she was going on about.

"Your daughter is a witch, and under the guidance of the best school the country can offer her I don't doubt that she would be at a high standard".

We were still staring at her, not knowing what to say or do; my mother just looked totally shocked. My father on the other hand was the one I was worrying about. He was staring at this woman sat in our living room, who chooses to call herself Miss Barnaby, with a confused look on his face. He looked like he had been holding his breath for quiet some time. Finally what broke the silence was him taking a very deep breath and looking at me then at Miss Barnaby.

"What makes you come to my house and call my daughter a witch?" he muttered, "what would this school teach her, what her new Secondary School can't?"

Miss Barnaby signed and reached for something out of her pocket, she pulled out something that I would describe as a light brown stick. She licked her dry lips and looked at me.

"This is what you will be able to do my dear, don't be alarmed" she said with a reassuring smile on her face.

Before I could say or do anything she drew a pattern in the air and pointed the stick at the tea-pot on our living room table. My eyes flew open with shock as our tea-pot had changed into a small pumpkin.

This caused my mother to scream, my father stood up in shock, and I dropped my cup on the floor, spilling orange juice on the floor. With another wave the juice had disappeared and the teapot was a tea-pot once more.

This is when we started to truly believe Miss Barnaby from this point on.

I remember looking at the Hogwarts express for the first time and still wondering whether this was real. Not that I didn't doubt that some witch had turned my mother's teapot into a pumpkin. I still felt as if someone was going to jump out from behind a wall declaring a prank, however even I couldn't deny it must be real by the collapsible wall between platform 9 and 10 at King's Cross.

I remember the red gleam and the shock I got at the train blowing smoke out from it, seeing all the other soon to be new witches and wizard with their families started to make this seem real.

It was a teary goodbye to my mother and father, after we had put my trunk on in the luggage cart, as they let me on the train; I think secretly they were thinking if this was a joke as well. Even though they seemed to believe Miss Barnaby. I also think they seemed a little apprehensive sending their only daughter off to some unknown school that we have never heard of. I promised them that I would write to them as much as they can and tell them everything.

My mother and father hugged me and when they both realised me I noticed that there was tears in my mother's eyes.

"I'll be back for Christmas" I said as my father shut the train door.

"I know you will, it's just I didn't expect you'd be away for so long, at least at St Joseph's you would be home every night" my mother said wiping tears away from her eyes. My father wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and they both took a step back away from the train as it was about it go.

I waved one last time to them as the train began to move forward, they disappeared quite quickly. I looked up and down the corridor and saw an empty compartment quite quickly. The corridor of the train was quite loud with lots of children running around talking about something called 'quidditch' and 'wackspurts'. I made a mental note to find out what they were and quickly changed into my school robes. After I was done with this I sat down and picked up one of my books out of my bag - Hogwarts: a history.

Ever since I and my parents went to Diagon Alley I've been reading anything and everything about magic and learnt quite a lot. I felt as if I was at a slight disadvantage to the other children as they either knew some magic or knew what things were. I was sat there at least fifteen minutes before I heard a low knock on the glass of my compartment.

I looked up and saw this small brown-haired boy, he looked very nervous as he walked into the compartment.

"Hullo, my names Neville. Is it okay if I sit in here, the others are either full or I don't know them. Well more like that they don't want to know me" he said as he started to go a red shade of scarlet.

"Yeah of course" I said with a smile "my name is Hermione" I add with a reassuring smile as he sits down opposite me.

"Thanks, he said and then he started to look nervously out of the window. There was an awkward silence for a little while until I plucked up the courage to start a conversation.

"Are you from a wizarding family?" I asked and Neville nervously looked at me.

"Yeah, I live with my gran thou. I've live with her since I was five, so I do know about the wizarding world. You?" he said trying to move the conversation towards me and not him.

"No, I'm not. It was a real shock when someone turned up with my letter, so me and my parents were quite shocked. It must feel a little better knowing that you were going to Hogwarts, I replied.

"Yeah a little" he quickly answered, looking on the floor.

"Is something wrong?" I asked sensing there was something wrong.

He looked a little downtrodden by my question, maybe I was a little to forward in asking, but I could offer my help. He looked away from me and towards be a couple of times before answering.

"Yeah I've lost my toad Trevor, and if I don't find him my gran is going to kill me," he said quickly.

I now understood his embarrassment; he was scared of getting wrong for losing his pet. Quite understandable really as he must have thought he was never going to see him again.

"Would you like some help looking for him? I asked trying to be friendly.

"You would really do that?" Neville asked shocked as if I wouldn't ask.

"Yeah you check one side of the train and I'll check the other" I said as I stood up. He nodded quickly and followed me out of the compartment.

"See you soon" I said "we will find him soon enough" I added before he started to walk away from the compartment.

After asking a few people if they have seen a toad I meet up with Neville who says that no one has seen him. We get to the next compartment, I hear Neville mutter something but it's too late to ask what he said as we were in the compartment. In this compartment there was only two boys, the first one was skinny with black hair and green eyes and the other was taller, skinny with bright ginger hair and green eyes. I asked them if they had seen a toad the ginger haired boy just turned around and pointed out bluntly that Neville had already asked them. I found the way he spoke very rude but moved the conversation on, I noticed that he had his wand out and thought he must be doing magic.

"You're trying some magic, go on then" I said as I sat down opposite him. He looked a little off put like he didn't want me or Neville there, however he didn't say anything. He just looked forward as if I wasn't there and cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter, mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow" he said waving his wand at the old tried rat that was in his lap.

Nothing happened; it didn't even wake it up. That spell that he had just used was definitely a dud.

"Are you really sure that it a real spell?" I asked, "it's just because it's not a really good one is it? I've tried a couple for myself and they worked for me. No one in my family is magic at all, so when we got my letter it was a surprise" I added really quickly.

Both boys just looked at me like I had two heads, to break the silence I thought I better introduce myself.

"I'm Hermione Grainger, who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Ron Weasley" said the ginger haired boy.

"I'm Harry Potter" said the brown-haired boy.

I was shocked at this I had read so much about this boy and how he ended the regime of you-know-who, I never guessed that I would meet him. I pointed out that I knew all about him, as I picked up some extra books for some light reading. I don't think either of them appreciated this fact.

"Right I think we best be going Neville, we need to try to find Trevor before we get to Hogwarts" I said as I stood up to leave. I turned around quickly to look at Ron he had some dirt on his nose.

"You have some dirt on the side of your nose by the way, did you know?" I said before leaving the compartment. At this point I never knew that I had bumped into the one that I was to fall in love with, and how was I to know as well that for the next couple of months me and Ron wouldn't see eye to eye.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After the sorting I still didn't feel need to talk to the red haired rude boy even though we were in the same house and same classes. He seemed to make friends with Harry Potter; he was kinder to me than Ron. This was to set the tone for many of our arguments over the next coming years.

I decided to just concentrate on my studies, I was still able to speak to people, but I never really got to know anyone well enough to call anyone a "friend". I sent letters home to my parents every other day, reassuring them that I was okay and that I was fitting in. In a way I felt like I was lying to them, it will get better I kept telling myself, history won't repeat itself.

I felt like I was doing well until it came to Halloween that year, I was paired up with Ron in charms – to both our dismay. I sat and watched Ron keep doing it wrong. He started to go a little shade of red in the cheeks and on the top of his ears. I hated to come across as a know-it-all but I had to show him.

"It's Wingardium Levi-o-sa, you need to extend the gar" I pointed out.

Ron just turned around and looked at me and took a deep breathe, rolled his eyes before throwing his wand on the desk and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You do it then, if you think you know better" he snapped.

I rolled my eyes back at him before rolling my sleeves up on my robes and flicked my wand and said "Windgardium Leviosa!"

My light brown feather lifted about 12 inches off the desk. This gained me to be congratulated by Professor Flitwick. I smiled however when I looked at Ron he was facing away from me and was looking at Harry. I saw Harry shrug and Ron shake his head. I bit my bottom lip, he wound me up I put my wand down lightly on the table and put my hands in my lap and started to think why did I bother.

When the lesson finished I slowly packed my things together in my bag and followed the rest of the class out. I was just thinking about how rude Ron Weasley is when his voice broke my thoughts.

"It's no wonder she's hasn't got any friends," I heard him say, "She's a nightmare" he continued to say as he walked through the crowded corridor.

I just saw red, I started to walk towards him and shoved passed him and Harry. I think this shocked both me and them because I didn't really realise that was in the girls bathroom on the third floor. I slowly shut the toilet cubicle door, when it shut it made a light snap. I put the toilet seat down and sat there.

Memories started flooding back of primary school, what Ron had said had made my mind go flooding back. I ripped toilet paper off and wiped my eyes and blew my nose as I remembered how the children back home treated me.

Being always the last one picked to play on any teams, this happened so many times that I had given up and just decided to sit in the grass and read. I never understood why they excluded me, I have always liked my books and learning, but at times I felt driven to it. I felt so excluded and alone at school, books just felt like some kind of heaven away from the hurt and the torment, Ron just felt like the rest.

I found myself ripping pieces of toilet paper up until there was a little mount on the floor. I picked it up and put it down the toilet and flushed. I sat back down and started through watery eyes at the cubicle door in front of me.

I would go as far to say I hated him, over the last two months he had given me nothing but dark looks and dismissive comments. Even if I tried to talk to Harry he rolled his eyes, he was such a pig. I know I might come across as a know-it-all but come one there was no need for his to be so rude. I wipe my eyes again on the sleeve of my robes and sniff a couple of times. Even when I followed them when they were trying to break more school rules to have a duel with that insufferable Draco Malfoy I knew he was annoyed by my presence. It wasn't my fault that we stumbled into the forbidden locked door on the third floor corridor and nearly got killed by a three headed dog.

It was at this point where I had made the decision to ignore him, and just to pretend that he wasn't there. He was happy to do that with me, so I hope he likes a taste of his own medicine. It felt like I had been there for hours, I bent forward to pick my bag up and then I heard a loud bang followed by a pattern of bangs that sounded like footsteps. I opened the door to see what or who it was and that was when I saw it.

It was at least seven foot tall and a murky colour, I wish I hadn't opened the door as that had brought its attention towards me. I'd read enough about them to know that I was all alone in the girl's bathroom with a mountain troll. I screamed as it started walking towards me and I dove towards the sinks, I heard to troll collide with the toilet cubicles with a mighty crash. I crawled into a ball and huddled underneath the sink. Fear swept through my body as I came to terms with the fact that I was on my own and there was a good possibility that I was going to die.

My mind flew back to September the first and the last time I saw my parents, my mother was going to be distraught. I was there only daughter, I was snapped out of my thoughts again by a familiar voice just like that afternoon. I hadn't noticed that the troll had got back up and was starting to walk towards me.

"Oi, over here pea brain!" I heard Ron shout; I looked up and saw that he was stood chucking various objects at the troll to turn the attention towards him. At that point in time I thought that I knew I was never going to be happy to see him more than this moment. I saw Harry jump from the top of a toilet cubicle and jump straight onto his back and shoved his wand up the troll's nose. The troll screamed and this caused me to cover my ears and sit up in my drenched robe. I saw Ron look at me and I motioned the wand movement for Windgardium Leviosa. Ron nodded and got his wand out of his pocket, his face screwed up in concentration.

"Windgardium Leviosa!" he shouted as he spun his wand around trying not to hit Harry who was now about to get hit with the troll's club. Ron's timing was excellent as the club dropped on the troll's head and made the troll drop to the floor. The bang on the floor was enough to shake the whole room. Ron walked towards me and held out his hand and smiled slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked looking a little worried. I reached out for his hand and gripped it slightly and used the grip to get back onto my feet. Harry was now stood next to Ron and we just all looked at each other. I was the first one to break the silence, looking back towards the troll.

"That was quite a knock to the head, is it dead?" I asked a little startled.

"No" I said Harry, "it's just been knocked out" he added looking at the troll and kicking a piece of rubble towards it.

"You better go and get your wand back mate" said Ron as he moved another piece of rubble with his foot.

Harry walked towards the troll and pulled his wand from the troll's nose, as he did this a scream startled all three off us as Professor McGonagall came running through the door, shortly followed by Professor Snape and Dumbledore.

I don't really remember much of this conversation that was said after, all I can remember is that I took the blame for "seeking" out the troll, hence losing five points for Griffindor. Secondly I remember that they gained points for their efforts, and finally and most importantly I remembered this was the point when we became friends.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know there isn't any Ron and Hermonie in this chapter, but I needed to do this chapter to be able to compare them to the future chapters... thanks for your patience. Enjoy!**

* * *

Leaving Hogwarts for the first time was a little daunting if I was being completely honest with myself, another daunting thing for me was seeing my parents. It had been the best part of four months since I had seen them and the last time that I did see them it was quite upsetting. When I was travelling to Kings Cross my thoughts flew back a couple of times to what I was thinking when I was lying huddled into a ball when about to be attacked by a mountain troll, the memory of my mother crying and my dad trying to reassure her. I was glad that Ron and Harry did save me because I didn't was there last memory of me being upset because of leaving them.

I spent most of the journey reading - as always, I was trying to find out who is this Nicolas Flamel was. I was so sure that I had read his name somewhere before, the thing was I couldn't remember where from. It was getting to the point of annoyance, I had read nearly every book again since starting Hogwarts and I still hadn't found it again. As the train was about to stop I sighed in defeat and flung the book into my bag.

As I got off the Hogwarts express and ran towards the loving arms of my mother, as I felt the arms close around me I felt secure. All the confused feelings of doubt and hurt that I had been feeling since September just washed away, I hugged my father as well and walked with them to their car.

I sat in the car as my father put my trunk in the back of the car; my mother sat in the passenger seat and turned around to smile at me. By the letters I had been receiving from my parents I could tell that they would have preferred that I stayed at home. There was a slight awkward pause in the car as my mother turned around and looked at me, my father got back into the car and shut the door turned around and looked at me.

"We'll get you home pumpkin and then you can tell us all about Hogwarts" he said as he put his seat belt on.

"Yeah that will be great" I said as I started fiddling with a loose thread on my purple scarf as our car growled into a start.

The car journey back home was a quick drive, mostly due to all the questions my parents were throwing at me about Hogwarts. Part of me felt guilty because there was a small thought that all these questions they were firing at me were to find some reason for them to suggest me not going back. I know this separation has been hard on me and my parents but as I pushed this thought aside the confidence of knowing that I would never ask not to go back. It was part of my life and it wasn't something I was going to give up, I think I must have made this decision even before the mountain troll incident - even to this day my parents don't know about it.

I laugh at my stubbornness as I walk into my house and take off my coat, hat, gloves and scarf. I hung them up and sat down on the sofa and started to wonder what my two friends would be up to now as I started to settle in for a quite Christmas with my family.

* * *

My first Christmas back from Hogwarts was quite refreshing when I think back to it. I managed to not worry about things as much - of course I finished all my homework early, to Ron's dismay when I told him by owl and I managed to spend some time away with my family. Christmas day with my mother, father, granddad and granny Grainger that year is still a memory I treasure dear. Sitting around the dining room table eating my Christmas dinner with my small and close-knit family it made me realise a couple of things. First of all I realised that even though I had found the last few months hard I felt like I had at last taken a step forward, I had a small close knit group of friends. Ignoring the pathetic feeling that was now cascading me I thought back to the last couple of weeks; Harry and Ron now wanted to spend time with me. I felt as if I belonged. Sleepily I sighed as I sat cuddling into my mother cherishing every moment I had left at home for the Christmas holidays. Every Christmas I think back to this moment as think how things were simple then. Back then it was the year before everything became more confusing that it already was; at this point I was more concerned and worried about my insecurities - in time unbeknown to me it was going to change into my feelings and thoughts for one red head boy.

After my well yearned for Christmas dinner I went upstairs and lay on my right side on my bed. I bit my lip as I stared at the purple wall in front of me next to my bed. It had been a very confusing four month for me I had went from being a no body to having friends. I liked the idea but in all fairness it was daunting, what happened if they thought I was too weird or reading too much, they might ditch me. For some reason it was Ron's reaction to me that worried me more than Harry, Harry had always been nicer out of the two. He was always giving me a reassuring smile and saying hello even before we became friends. Ron was the one that had been horrid, I just didn't want to see history repeat itself, people befriending me then using my personal traits against me at a later date when they had got sick of me or thought I was too weird. I still didn't see why people thought I was weird it was probably because I thought learning and books had more security and substance than real people sometimes.

Rolling onto my back I let my mind wander could I let history repeat itself, how could I keep my friends and still be me without having to change anything. I let myself fall to sleep as I registered the thought that things were going to change when I went back to Hogwarts.


End file.
